Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 3, 1995 TAG: 9508030053
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Marcaccini, a 6-foot-5 swingman from Sherman Oaks, Calif., started 26 of 27 games this past season for Pepperdine and was the leading freshman scorer in the West Coast Conference.
``I see something happening in a couple of days,'' said Marcaccini's mother, Alicia. ``Virginia was the first place I called when Monte received his release. I hope we will be announcing a wedding very soon.''
Marcaccini, who was in Charlottesville on Wednesday, signed with Indiana as a senior in high school but never played for the Hoosiers. His letter-of-intent was voided when he decided to play for a season in Italy.
``He has an Italian father,'' Marcaccini's mother said. ``That entitled him to dual citizenship, but, in order to keep that dual citizenship for basketball purposes, he had to play basketball in Italy that year [1993-94].''
When he returned, after leading his team to the Italian junior championship, Marcaccini was obligated to stay close to home after his father was diagnosed with lung cancer. He enrolled at Pepperdine, where he averaged 9.9 points and 4.6 rebounds.
Marcaccini scheduled a visit to Virginia as a senior at Notre Dame High School at Sherman Oaks, Calif., but the Cavaliers received a commitment from another wing player, Jamal Robinson, before Marcaccini made it to campus.
Marcaccini's older brother, G.C., played this past season at George Mason and is eager to have his brother join him in Virginia, their mother said. Monte Marcaccini will have three years of Division I eligibility after sitting out this season.
WHITAKER WATCH: UVa basketball signee Melvin Whitaker, considered one of the top post prospects in the country, plans to enroll at Hargrave Military Academy.
Hargrave coach Scott Shepherd said he learned Tuesday that Whitaker had rejected offers from several Division I programs who wanted to take him as a ``partial'' qualifier and still intends to play for Virginia if he meets NCAA academic standards.
CAVS-JAYHAWKS II: Virginia, which never had played Kansas in men's basketball before last year's Midwest Regional semifinals, apparently will be opening the upcoming season against the Jayhawks.
Craig Littlepage, associate athletics director at Virginia, said the Cavaliers ``probably'' will meet Kansas in the Great Eight tournament in Pontiac, Mich.
Raycom, which holds the television rights to the event, is expected to announce the schedule later this week. The other games are Oklahoma State-Wake Forest, Arkansas-Massachusetts and Kentucky-Michigan State.
Kansas will be looking to avenge a 67-58 loss to the Cavaliers in Kansas City, Mo. It was the Jayhawks' first non-conference loss in Kemper Arena since 1983.
by CNB